Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 686,579. Patented Nov. l2, I901.

' L. A. BUYER.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Mar. 5, 1901.) (No Model.)

' UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUCIEN AUGUSTE BOYEB, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

IA'CETYLENE-GAS: GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,579, dated November 12, 1901.

I Application filed March 5, 1901.

To aZZ whom itmay concern:

Beitknown that LLUOIEN AUGUSTEBOYER, gentleman, of the city of Paris, Republic of France, have invented an Improved Acetylene-Gas Generator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an improved acetylene-gas generator which does away almost completely with overgeneration and does not possess any movable part. Such generator is particularly adapted to be applied to those devices which are exposed to jars and shocks, such as lamps for carriages, motor-cars, and any other vehicles. The said generator consists of a vessel or tank into which dips a fixed bell carrying internally a basket containing a suitable quantity of calcium carbid in such a manner that the water of the tank that is first cut off by the air of the basket smoothly comes in contact with the carbid when said air is allowed to escape, this water being then driven back by the generated acetylene gas, which while escaping according to the delivery again allows the water contained in the tank to come in contact with the carbid, the' rate of generation thuscorresponding exactly to the rate of delivery.

My apparatus essentially consists of a tube projecting from the top of the fixed bell and coming down along the walls of the latter and ending into a bend leading into the ex-j ternal vessel slightly above the bottom of said fixed bell. The said tube acts first to control the escape of the excess of gas in case of overgeneration, while maintaining a sufficient regularity of pressure to give steadiness to the flame. Furthermore, the same tube also serves when overgeneration takes place to allow the water-level to be so much lowered as required by the escape of the excess of gas, while maintaining in the fixed bell the'oil, which I preferably spread at the surface of the water.

My apparatus also consists in some improvements in the basket for the carbid.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the wholepf my apparatus made according to the axis of the generator. Fig. 2 is a sectional view made on line A B of Fig. 1.

' My improved apparatus comprises an ex- ]strengthening-band 2 of the bell. tube 3 a tube 6. communicates, said tube ex- Serial in). 49,751.; (No model.)

Eternal vessel 1, in which islocated a fixed bell 2, connected'by means ofa tube 3 to the cover or lid 4 of the vessel.

Withinsuch bell 2 I arrange the carbid-basket 5, sustained on the bottom of the vessel by the legs 5 and held rigid with the hell 2 by means of a set-screw 5 which is carried on one leg 5 and engaged with a depending lug 2 of the With the tending down along the outer walls of the bell 2 and having at its lowerend a bend 6*, said end being just above the lower end of the bell 2. The central tube 3 passes through the cover 4 and is provided with a tap to which the pipe jleading gas to the burner is connected. The i cover 4 is clamped by means of swing bolts and nuts 8 upon the upper edge of the Waterftank 1, a cork packing 9, which is sufficiently tight and prevents any projections outside, but eventually allows the passage of the gas, being interposed between said parts. 10 10 are arranged within the upper part of the water-tank in order to deaden in the mass of water the efiects of the jars.

Thebottom 5 of the basket 5 is perforated and provided with vertical ribs 5 to hold 'raised the larger particles of carbid. Below the bottom 5 perforated supplementary bottoms 11 and 12 are arranged, such bottoms being held by the legs, 5*, the perforations being smaller in bottom 11 than in bottom 5 and smaller in bottom 12 than inrbottom 11.

The operation is as follows: The basket containing a suitable quantity of carbid and the tap 7 being closed when the bell 2 dips into the water-tank 1 the air contained within such bell not being allowed to escape drives back the water, and thus prevents the same from coming in contact with the carbid. If then I open the tap 7 (which has been previously connected to the burner, so that the escape may be performed through a very small port,) the air escapes and the Water in charge around the bell enters the latter, rises imperceptibly, and comes in contact with the lower layers of carbid. Acetylene gas is thus generated, and if such generation overcomes the delivery, causes the pressure to increase within the bell 2, and drives back again the water into the external container until after the stored gas is partly delivered the water again comes in contact with the carbid, and so on.

However, the operation that has just been described would not give the required result without the use of the tube 6, whereas the carbid would not be attacked slowly enough to prevent the generation when taking place from sensibly overcoming the delivery. The water would then be driven back suddenly, and the excess of gas would escape in large quantity under the bell. Such an escape would have for its efiect to suddenly lower the pressure within the bell, and this would cause the water to suddenly come in again. The generation would then be too great, and it would be very difficult to balance the whole. The tube 6 forms a vent through which the excessive pressure in the bell due to overgeneration of gas escapes into the vessel 1. In fact, if there is overgeneration the water thatis in the tube 6 is driven back, as well as the water that is in the fixed bell 2, and the escape of the excess of gas takes place through the said tube before the level of the water within the bell has reached the lower compartment thereof. The tube 6 horizontally runs into the external vessel, and the escape of gas can be automatically regulated at any rate corresponding to overgenoration, whatever its degree may be, thus insuring regularity of pressure and steadiness of the flame. Such tube is also utilized for another purpose. In fact, I preferably spread over the water a thin sheet of -'oil so as to regulate in the well-known manner the action of water upon the carbid, said tube 6 preventing, as just described, the water-level being lowered to the bottom of the bell 2. The sheet of oil is thus maintained within the latter; otherwise a part of the oil would pass into the external vessel at everyimmoderate sinking of the level.

The carbid-basket has some peculiar features which have been devised in order to allow a slowly-progressive action of water on the carbid to take place. The perforated hottom 5 thereof is provided with vertical ribs 5 Furthermore, slightly under such bottom a plate 11 is arranged which is provided with holes smaller than those of the bottom 5, and still further underneath another plate 12 with holes that are still smaller. The ribs 5 are used for carrying the largest pieces of carbid and for preventing them to collect at the bottom of the basket. With reference to the smaller pieces, which might pass through the bottom 5, they are retained according to their size by either plate 11 or plate 12. I also prevent any important dropping of carbid into water, and without the necessity of employing special means I obtain in the operation of charging such a graduated arrangement of the carbid which very advantageously allows the generation to be regularly effected.

I claim-- 1. In an acetylene-gas generator, the com bination with a vessel, a fixed bell in the vessel provided with a cover and having its lower end terminating short of the bottom thereof, said bell being provided with a tube leading out through the cover of the vessel and having a tap adapted to be connected with the burner, and a compartment carbid-holder in the lower portion of the bell, the compartments being one above the other, of a vent pipe or tube leading from the tube of the bell down into the vessel with its lower end terminating short of the lower end of the bell, whereby provision is made for the escape of the excess of gas from the bell so as to maintain a regularity of pressure and thereby give steadiness to the flame, as set forth.

2. An acetylene-gas generator, comprising a vessel provided with a cover, a fixed bell having a tube projecting from its upper end, said tube extending through and secured to the cover of the vessel and by means of which the bell is supported in the vessel with its lower end above the bottom thereof, the outer end of the tube being provided with a tap, a carbid-holder having compartments arranged one above the other and provided with legs resting upon the bottom of the vessel and sup porting the holder within the lower portion of the bell, and a vent-tube leading from the tube of the bell down into the vessel and terminating short of the lower end of the bell in a horizontal portion, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an acetylene-gas generator, a carbidholder comprising a basket having an apertured bottom and provided with vertical ribs projecting from its upper face and with legs, and two apertured plates secured to the legs of the baskets one above the other, the apertures of one plate being of a different size from apertures of the other plate and the apertures of both being different from the apertures of the bottom of the basket, as set forth.

4. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination with a vessel, and a fixed bell therein, and provided with a depending lug at its lower end, of a carbid-holder comprising a basket having an apertured bottom and provided with legs and with upwardly-projecting ribs on its upper face, and two apertured plates secured to the legs of the basket one above the other, the apertures of the lower plate being smaller than the apertures of the upper plate and the apertures of the upper plate smaller than the apertures of the bottom of the basket, and a screw securing one of the legs of the basket to the depending lug of the bell, as set forth.

5. An acetylenegas generator comprising a vessel provided with a removable cover,a fixed bell in the vessel and provided with a tube extending out through and secured in the cover and by means of which the bell is'supported in the vessel with its lower end above the bottom of the vessel, said tube being provided with a tap adapted to be connected with a burner, bafiies secured to the tube of the bell, a carbid-holder in the lower portion of the bell, said holder being snpportedlupon the bottom of the vessel and comprising a basket having an apertured bottom provided with ribs, and two perforated plates arranged one above the other below the bottom of the basket, and a vent-tube leading from the tube of the bell down into the vessel and having its lower end terminating short of the bottom of the bell in a horizontal portion, as set 10 forth.

The foregoing specification of my improved acetylene-gas generator signed by me this 1st day of Febnrary, 1901.

LUOIEN AUGUSTE BOYER.

Witnesses:

LoUIs PETIT, HENRI BLoUIN. 

